FAQ

No. BrokersPulse is an information and education website. We do not hold client funds, execute trades or give personal advice. Any account you open is with the broker, under that broker’s terms.

We may earn a commission when you click a link and open an account with a broker. It costs you nothing extra. The commercial relationship is explained in our disclaimer, and the ranking itself comes from the published scoring method (see How we rate), not from a payment rate.

Each broker gets a 0-10 sub-score on six weighted criteria: regulation and client protection (35%), costs and pricing transparency (20%), platforms and tools (15%), market range (10%), education and research (10%), and payments and support (10%). The overall rating is the weighted average and the list is sorted by it. The criteria, weights and limits of the method are set out in How we rate.

No, and we do not claim to. Our ratings are editorial opinion based on public information: regulator registers, the broker’s own legal and fee pages, and disclosures the broker publishes. Each review lists the sources it draws on so you can check them.

Facts were checked in September 2026 and each review carries that date. Spreads, fees, platforms and promotions change often, and regulators can update registers at any time, so always confirm the details on the broker’s site and the regulator’s register before you deposit.

There is no single best broker for everyone. Under our method the top of the list is IG, mainly because of its regulatory record and range, but the right choice depends on which entity would serve you in your country, the products you want, the platform you prefer and how you plan to fund the account. Use the side-by-side comparison to narrow it down.

Find the regulator named on the broker’s website, then search for the exact legal entity on the regulator’s own public register, not just the brand name. Check that the entity is authorised for the activity and that it is allowed to serve clients in your country. Our step-by-step guide is How to check a broker’s licence.

Many brokers operate several companies under one brand, each with a different regulator and different client protections. Which one opens your account decides things like compensation schemes, negative balance protection and leverage limits. Some entities listed in our reviews do not accept retail clients at all. Read Why the entity matters before you sign up.

Not necessarily. Availability depends on the entity and on local rules, and each review includes a table of entities, their regulators and the regions they serve. If a broker does not list your country, do not try to work around it. Use a broker that is licensed to serve you.

A standard account usually builds the broker’s charge into a wider spread. A raw-spread account quotes tighter spreads and adds a separate commission per trade. Which is cheaper depends on how often you trade and what you trade. We compare published figures in Raw-spread accounts compared.

MetaTrader 4 and 5, cTrader and TradingView each suit different styles, and not every broker offers all of them. Our platform matrix shows what each broker lists, and MT4 vs MT5 vs cTrader vs TradingView explains the differences.

Regulators in several regions require brokers to publish the share of retail CFD accounts that lose money. In the disclosures we reviewed, the figures were between 65% and 76%. Those numbers are cited in the individual reviews. Treat trading as high risk and only use money you can afford to lose.

Leverage lets you control a larger position with a smaller amount of margin. It magnifies losses as well as gains. Whether you can lose more than your deposit depends on the entity and the protections it offers, such as negative balance protection. Our lesson on leverage and margin walks through examples.

A common rule of thumb is to risk only a small, fixed percentage of your account on any one trade, and to decide the stop-loss before you enter. Our lesson on risk management includes a worked position-size example. It is an illustration, not advice for your situation.

Minimum deposits differ by broker, entity and account type, and are listed in each review. The minimum a broker allows is not the same as a sensible amount to trade with. Start by learning on a demo account if the broker offers one, and never fund an account with money you need for essentials.

A pip is the standard small unit of price movement in a currency pair. The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price, and swaps are financing charges for positions held overnight. All three affect your cost. See Spreads, commissions and swaps.

Begin with forex basics, then work through charts, order types, leverage and risk in the education lessons. Read How to open a forex account safely before you register with any broker.

Brokers typically support some mix of bank transfer, card and e-wallets, and the options depend on your country and the entity. Fees, limits and processing times vary, and withdrawals are normally returned to the method you used to deposit. We cover this in Funding: bank, card or e-wallet.

It depends on where you live and how your trading is classified, and rules change. Our Forex tax basics guide explains the general concepts only. It is not tax advice, so speak to a qualified local tax adviser.

Common warning signs include guaranteed returns, pressure to deposit quickly, unsolicited contact on social media or messaging apps, and a firm that cannot show a licence on a regulator’s register. Clone firms copy the names of real brokers, so verify the website address too. Read Scam warning signs and run the ten pre-deposit checks.

Stop sending money and keep all records: statements, chat logs, emails and payment receipts. Contact your bank or payment provider, and report the firm to your national financial regulator. Regulators and the IOSCO I-SCAN tool also publish warnings about unauthorised firms, and links are in our licence guide.

Protection depends on the entity that holds your account. Some jurisdictions have client-money segregation rules and compensation schemes, and others offer little. Each review shows the regulator behind each entity and what we found about protection. Check the specific terms of your account before you deposit.